How does one deal with a raging beast on a murderous rampage, slaughtering and destroying everything in sight? Either one kills or tames it. The same applies to states that use force in Nazi fashion, leaving rivals with no option but war, as was the case with Germany in World War II. It was defeated and forced into unconditional surrender, as was Japan after its emperor surrendered following the nuclear bombs that struck the country.
This time, it is Israel that has risen to this level of belligerence as it perpetrated genocide and ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian people. It is important to note that Israel is a nuclear state which enjoys the unconditional support of the United States, and now it is currently leveraging its power not only to assault several Arab capitals - most recently Doha, and before that, Beirut, Damascus, Sanaa, and Tehran - but to take a broader regional posture.
Its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, says that Israel should become some sort of “Super Sparta” to reshape the Middle East. He has promoted the idea of “Greater Israel” and proudly presents maps of Israel that include the territories of several Arab states. Netanyahu and his supporters’ - within and outside the Israeli government - rhetoric is explicitly hostile to these countries.
The beast is wreaking havoc, leaving everyone around it with no choice but to defend their borders and their lives by building a balance of power that compels Israel to think twice before making a move. Beasts also hesitate and retreat when they find their opponents growing stronger militarily, economically, and diplomatically.
After the Doha Summit that brought the Arab and Islamic states together, Israel’s international isolation solidified enough to lead Netanyahu to conclude Israel might be shunned for years, adding that it has no choice but to rely on itself. Speaking at a conference held by the finance ministry, he said that Israel “will need to adapt to an economy with autarkic characteristics.” That is, he said that Israel must become less dependent on foreign trade.
It was Netanyahu who introduced the “free-market revolution in Israel,” opening its economy to the world, and he must now contend with global isolation. Israel’s arms industry, among other key sectors of the economy, will be undermined, and Israel may find itself unable to rely on foreign arms imports. “We’ll need to develop our weapons industry - we’re going to be Athens and super Sparta combined. We have no choice, at least for the coming years when we’ll be required to deal with these isolation attempts.”
Netanyahu’s remarks amounted to recognition of the severe international backlash against Israel’s escalation of its war in Gaza. It now confronts partial or total arms embargoes from France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, and other countries because of its conduct in the Gaza war. However, it imports most of its arms from the United States, which will continue to supply the Jewish state.
For years, Israel was considered a regional and global economic power, a status it largely owed to its advanced tech industry. The war has put a dent in its economy. It is already the longest and most costly conflict in the country’s history. In short, Israel finds itself at a critical juncture both militarily and economically. Self-reliance will drain it further, as Israel will have to make difficult choices. Given its small population, it must choose between militarization and war on the one hand, and the economic activity that funds endless conflict on the other.
Arab pressure has not been in vain: UN Resolutions, multilateral statements, and the Arab media have shown the world how Israel is perpetrating a “Holocaust,” a “Nakba,” “famine,” and “ethnic cleansing.” These are scenes the world has not witnessed since the Nazis’ massacres and their genocide of the Jews.
The roles are reversed this time. At the Security Council, the Arabs made an ardent humanitarian appeal to Israel after the Israeli attack on Doha, urging an end to this madness. Indeed, Israel cannot achieve rapprochement in the Middle East unless it is contained, and failure to do so will come at a heavy price for the region.
In his speech to the Arab-Islamic summit, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi addressed the Israeli people directly, warning them that their leaders are pushing their country into an abyss of endless conflict that could nullify peace treaties and fuel instability that Israel cannot isolate itself from. The Israeli beast has a crucial opportunity to stop applying the Nazi handbook that shapes its dreams and ambitions. It must grant the Palestinian people their legitimate rights; only then can it join this region that genuinely seeks development and progress.
